5 Spicy Romance Hockey Books to Read If You’re Obsessed With ‘Heated Rivalry’
A new power couple has skated into BookTok’s hockey romance arena and, in turn, our hearts.
On November 28, the Canadian book-to-screen adaptation of Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry hit HBO Max, immediately teaching romance lovers just how spicy a sports rivalry can get. Heated Rivalry follows pro hockey stars Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), whose animosity on the ice melts into a steamy secret relationship behind closed doors. If you haven’t tuned into this sexual tension-filled masterpiece, trust us, it’s worth watching. If you thought Conrad Fisher could yearn, just wait until you meet these horny hockey hunks.
With two episodes out and four to go, we’re already eager to get more spicy MM hockey content like Heated Rivalry into our hands. The first two episodes alone were enough to inspire us to read Rachel Reid’s novel, so it’s clear that we’re going to need to look beyond Shane and Ilya to get our fix. That’s why we’ve put together the perfect TBR for anyone who can’t get enough of their love story. From Pucking Strong to Poetry on Ice, scroll to find out five books perfect for anyone who loves Heated Rivalry.
Warning: The list below may contain pucking puns.
Heated Rivalry, Season 1, Fridays, HBO Max
Poetry On Ice
Jesse H Reign
If you’re looking for the series most comparable to Heated Rivalry, look no further than Totally Pucked, an MM hockey romance series that begins with Poetry on Ice. This steamy love story follows Robbie and Ant, Seattle Vipers teammates whose competitive nature leads to name-calling on and off the ice. Naturally, this causes Robbie to question if they are fighting, flirting, or something in between. Get ready for some scorching spice scenes and dirty talk that will have you blushing ’til tomorrow, hockey fans!
Pucking Strong
Emily Rath
When it comes to writing queer hockey romances, Emily Rath is the perfect gal for the job. Pucking Strong is the fourth novel in her NSFW Jacksonville Rays series, which follows the love lives of various hockey players. As her first strictly MM sports romance, Pucking Strong follows the Rays’ physical therapist, Teddy, and their star forward, Henrik. This novel features a marriage of convenience between the two main characters, making for tons of drama, jealousy, and, of course, plenty of spice scenes. While this book is definitely more of a slow burn than Heated Rivalry, Rath does not fall short in the steamy content department. Once you read Pucking Strong, be sure to check out our interview with Emily Rath about Teddy and Henrik’s love story!
The Long Game
Rachel Reid
Fans are convinced that Rachel Reid’s best novel is The Long Game. While Ilya and Shane were the first Game Changers leading lads to star on the small screen, Heated Rivalry is the second novel in the six-book series. All of the other books follow different couples, but it’s clear that Ilya and Shane’s chemistry was too good for just one novel. The Long Game takes place ten years after Heated Rivalry, returning to Ilya and Shane’s relationship. We’re going to keep this list spoiler-free, so we won’t spill what they’re up to now, but just know that they’re back and their love story is just as spicy as ever.
Him
Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
We’ll be the first to tell you that Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus is the hetero hockey romance series. However, many of Kennedy’s hockey romances pale in comparison to Him, the first book in Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen’s MM hockey romance series by the same title. Unlike Ilya and Shane, Jamie and Wesley have a history. They used to be best friends. Reunited years later, coaching at a hockey summer camp, the two finally get the answers (and experiences) they have been looking for. When it comes to Him, Kennedy and Bowen had us at “They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?”
Pucking Around
Emily Rath
Confession, Pucking Around isn’t just an MM hockey romance; it’s a polyamorous, why-choose MMMF hockey romance, where one woman falls in love with three players, while two of those players fall for each other. While we were going to keep this list strictly MM, the team’s goalie, Ilmari, is so Ilya-coded that we had to let this one slide. Also, Pucking Around might be even spicier than Heated Rivalry, if that’s even possible. But be warned: DO NOT listen to the audiobook while grocery shopping. A girl only makes that mistake once…
